10 BEST REUSABLE PAPER TOWELS TO CLEAN MESSES SUSTAINABLY
This blog post is all about the best reusable paper towels!
The global paper towel market is projected to rise from $5.8 billion in 2023 to $10 billion in 2033.
It means that in only a decade, the world will be consuming almost twice as many disposable paper towels as it is today.
And I don’t know about you, but I think that we are already consuming way too many of them in our society!
While paper towels are convenient to use, whether for cleaning spills, wiping surfaces, or drying hands, using so many of them on a daily basis creates huge environmental issues.
If you’re trying to reduce the number of single-use products you’re using, you’re in the right place!
In this article, I’ve rounded up the 10 best reusable paper towels (also called unpaper towels) made with the planet in mind, so we can clean messes sustainably and frugally.
This blog post contains affiliate links which means that if you buy something through such links, I will get a small commission without any extra cost for you. Please read my Disclosure for more details.
Why switch to reusable paper towels?
On average, Americans are using 8 or more paper towel rolls a month.
Not only is buying so many of them adding up to a lot of money in a year, but our overconsumption causes serious environmental issues.
First, it is estimated that about 51,000 trees are cut down every day to support North America’s paper towel addiction.
Producing a single ton of paper towels requires cutting down 17 trees, but also using 20,000 gallons of water.
In short, consuming so many of these is very water-intensive and massively contributes to deforestation.
Forests provide food and shelter for the local fauna and flora, so destroying their habitat leads to biodiversity loss.
Trees also absorb and store carbon, meaning that if we cut them down, they release it into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.
Turning trees into paper products also requires a lot of energy and comes with its own carbon footprint as well.
But that’s not all!
Paper towels aren’t recyclable, meaning that every time we use one, unless we compost it, it ends up in a landfill.
While paper products decompose faster than other materials, the sheer volume that accumulates in landfills is concerning.
Not to mention that such products release methane and other greenhouse gas emissions while breaking down, contributing even more to climate change.
The fact that they’re intended to be used only once exacerbates the problem even more!
The environmental impacts of disposable paper towels are huge.
But our habit of using them daily is also very costly for our bank accounts!
While we might think that spending a few dollars per week to buy two rolls of paper towels isn’t that big of a deal, our total consumption can amount to hundreds of dollars each year.
I’m not saying we should all stop using them entirely because it’s unrealistic for most of us.
However, almost all of us are using them way more than we need to.
If we can reduce our consumption, this will save trees and have a positive impact both on the planet and our wallets.
And the best way to do that is to switch to reusable paper towels!
Read more: 10 easy ways to reduce waste in the kitchen
The best fabric for reusable paper towels
Reusable paper towels can be made from a variety of fabrics, but over here, we like doing things as sustainably as possible.
It means that I won’t recommend any unpaper towels made from synthetic fabrics.
The best fabric for cloth paper towels in my book is GOTS-certified organic cotton.
There are also great options crafted from bamboo or cotton.
All these fabrics can be very absorbent, so they’re perfect for reusable paper towels!
Swedish dishcloths, which are made from a blend of cellulose and cotton, are another great sustainable paper towel alternative.
I also love seeing brands using fabrics that are OEKO-TEX certified, meaning that the material doesn’t contain any toxic substances!
10 best reusable paper towels to clean messes sustainably
1. Grove
Materials: Organic Cotton, Cotton Flannel
Grove offers great cloth paper towels from the brands Marley’s Monsters and Esembly Baby.
No matter which brand you choose, their washable paper towels come with a reusable roll, making them super convenient to use.
They’re soft, very absorbent, and durable.
The Marley’s Monsters ones are made from 100% cotton flannel and are available in different colors and patterns, including lovely lemons.
Those sold by Esembly Baby on the other hand are all-white and made of OEKO-TEX-certified organic cotton.
So you can clean messes with peace of mind knowing they’ve been tested to be free of harmful chemicals!
2. Zero Waste Store
Materials: Organic Cotton Flannel, Cellulose & Cotton
You can get Zero Waste Store’s cloth paper towels in a set of 12 or 24 pieces, and choose from all-white, gray, and earthy colors.
These organic cotton flannel paper towels are great for cleaning everything around the home and drying hands when needed.
They’re machine washable, get more absorbent the more you wash them, and you can reuse them for years.
I also love that their fabric naturally clings together, so you can easily reroll them onto the tube.
What’s more, these pieces are GOTS and OEKO-TEX certified and colored with low-impact dyes.
Not to mention Zero Waste Store is a member of 1% For The Planet and provides carbon-neutral shipping.
The brand also has Swedish dishcloths available in many gorgeous, nature-inspired prints.
These are dishwasher-safe and can absorb 20 times their weight in liquid.
3. Marley’s Monsters
Materials: Cotton Flannel, Organic Cotton Flannel
Grove has several reusable paper towels from Marley’s Monsters, but if you want to see all the different patterns available, check out the brand directly.
You’ll be able to choose from a wide variety of colors and designs, including fruits, cacti, bees, plants, geometric patterns, whales, clouds, flowers, pandas, and more!
Marley’s Monsters unpaper towels are made of soft, absorbent cotton flannel (some are organic) and handcrafted in the USA, in Oregon.
They’re perfect for cleaning messes and spills, but also for serving as napkins during meals.
Many of them come pre-rolled around a reusable paper towel roll made of kraft paper or wood, which you can also buy individually.
4. Who Gives A Crap
Materials: Cellulose & Repurposed Cotton
Looking for Swedish dishcloths to replace disposable paper towels?
You’ll love those sold by sustainable toilet paper brand Who Gives A Crap!
Made from cellulose and repurposed cotton, these paper towel alternatives are biodegradable and compostable at the end of their lives.
Before that, you’ll be able to use them for a very long time and clean them in the dishwasher or washing machine.
Who Gives A Crap’s Swedish reusable paper towels are very absorbent.
They can hold 13 times their weight in water, making them ideal for wiping down surfaces and soaking up spills.
Plus, they dry fast and won’t become smelly.
I also love that the brand is B Corp certified, offsets its carbon footprint from shipping, and donates 50% of its profits to clean water and sanitation nonprofits!
5. Gina’s Soft Cloth Shop
Materials: Organic Cotton
If you want to support a small, woman-owned business creating handmade reusable paper towels, you need to check out Gina’s Soft Cloth Shop!
Its 11*12” flannel unpaper towels are handmade in small batches in West Virginia using unbleached, 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton sourced from a Fair Trade factory in Pakistan.
You’ll like that these pieces cling to each other, so you can easily grab one and use it.
You can then throw it in the washing machine and roll it back up.
These cloth paper towels are serged around the edges for a clean finish and become even more absorbent after a few washes.
They’re also very soft, fast-drying, and lint-free.
6. Mioeco
Materials: Organic Cotton
This pack of washable paper towels by Mioeco contains 10 white pieces crafted from GOTS-certified organic cotton.
They feature a soft waffle fabric with serged edges, which is 100% safe to use as it’s bleach- and chemical-free.
Incredibly versatile, they can be used to clean your entire home, from wiping down countertops and cleaning the bathroom to dusting and absorbing spills.
These unpaper towels are made in a fair trade factory, and the manufacturing process is carbon-neutral, so they’re some of the most sustainable reusable paper towels you can get!
They’re also very absorbent and machine washable for easy cleaning.
7. Full Circle
Materials: Bamboo
Full Circle has these bamboo reusable paper towels designed to replace up to 30 rolls of disposable paper towels.
They absorb 7 times their weight in liquid, are made to fit any paper towel holder, and can be used over and over again.
They also dry very quickly and stay odor-free, and you can choose between all-white pieces and a lovely leaf design.
Plus, I love that they’re chlorine-free hence more sustainable, and the brand carries the B Corp certification!
Full Circle also sells super-absorbent cleaning cloths made from post-production recycled fibers and non-toxic dyes, as well as a bamboo paper towel holder with a ceramic base and a convenient arm that prevents the roll from unraveling.
8. EcoPledge
Materials: Organic Cotton Flannel
These 12*12” washable paper towels by EcoPledge feature a double-layered flannel, so they’re very absorbent and can tackle any mess or spill around your home.
They can also be used up to six times before needing to launder them.
EcoPledge handcrafts them from GOTS-certified organic cotton using tight stitching to make them last longer.
They’re also chemical- and bleach-free and have a convenient built-in hanging loop for drying.
Plus, they’re available in three lovely color and pattern assortments!
Choose from orange towels with cute flowers, a pack of sage, black, and white pieces, or a set of white and off-white models.
9. Papaya
Materials: Cotton
Papaya reusable paper towels are the perfect versatile tool to clean and wipe everything from your countertops and appliances to sticky hands and windows.
They can absorb 20 times their weight, and you can use their hook to air dry them and have them ready to use by the sink, in your bathroom, on the backsplash, or even on your baby’s highchair!
Each sheet is meant to replace 17 rolls of disposable paper towels and can go in the washing machine or on the top rack of the dishwasher.
Papaya reusable paper towels are made of cotton so they’re 100% compostable at the end of their (long) life.
They also dry quickly, meaning that they don’t hold on to moisture and become smelly, and they do not drip.
Not to mention there are many gorgeous designs to choose from, including leaves, flowers, lemons, strawberries, and more!
10. Bambooee
Materials: Organic Bamboo
Bambooee paper towels became famous on the show Shark Tank and have so far earned 4.5/5 stars with over 2,000 ratings on Amazon.
These bamboo reusable paper towels do not disappoint!
They feature a soft, felt-like texture that makes them very absorbent, and they are machine washable up to 100 times.
One roll includes 30 11.5″ x 11″ sheets and can replace up to 286 disposable paper towel rolls!
Bambooee paper towels are also made from organic bamboo sourced from sustainable sources.
Plus, the brand plants a tree for every purchase and has planted over 200,000 trees so far.
Some common questions about reusable paper towels
This section is here to help make your transition to reusable paper towels as easy and smooth as possible.
I answer some common questions people have about unpaper towels.
How to use reusable paper towels? How easy to use are they?
Unpaper towels are incredibly easy to use!
You can use them both dry or wet, just like disposable versions.
Use them to clean spills or wipe down surfaces, and then rinse them and let them air dry.
Once dirty, give them a good wash.
Easy-peasy!
Are reusable paper towels worth it? Do they really work?
They’re totally worth it!
I find that washable paper towels work even better than disposable ones because they’re usually a lot thicker and, thus, more absorbent.
Not only that but a single piece can replace hundreds, if not thousands of disposable sheets.
It means that making the switch will help you reduce waste and save a lot of money in the long run!
How to wash reusable paper towels?
Most unpaper towels are machine washable, so check the label, but you should be able to simply throw them in the washer with your laundry.
Some, usually the Swedish dishcloth types, are also safe to put on the top rack of your dishwasher.
How to store reusable paper towels?
You can store your cloth paper towels in different ways.
Depending on their materials, you may be able to roll them around a reusable paper towel roll or a kraft one from when you used to buy disposable options.
You can also fold and store them in a small basket or hang them on hooks behind cabinet doors.
How many times can you use a reusable paper towel?
Unpaper towels can be reused over and over again, but their lifespan will depend on their material, the frequency of use, and what you’re cleaning with them.
First, you can usually reuse them several times before they need washing unless you’ve cleaned something really messy.
But most of the time, rinsing and air drying them is enough and you’ll only need to throw them in the washer after several uses.
Cloth paper towels can usually be used and washed hundreds of times, as long as they’re in good condition.
With proper care, you should be able to use them for years, which makes them super cost-efficient!
Swedish dishcloths are a bit less durable, but they should still last you a long time.
It is usually advised to change them once or twice a year if you use them regularly.
Read more:
Final thoughts on the best reusable paper towels
I hope you’ve found this article about the best reusable paper towels helpful and that you could find a product you love using on a daily basis.
Thanks to these brands, we can now clean up messes around our homes without creating a ton of waste!
If you liked this article, you may also want to read:
- 11 organic kitchen towels for a clean eco-friendly kitchen
- 15 eco-friendly alternatives to aluminum foil in the kitchen
- The best eco-friendly alternatives to Ziploc bags to store food and snacks sustainably
- 10 natural & sustainable alternatives to dryer sheets
- 7 best reusable lint roller alternatives for removing lint & pet hair sustainably
- 10 non-toxic brands selling natural & eco-friendly cleaning products
- 9 best natural & non-toxic dish soap brands for sparkling clean dishes
- 9 best natural & non-toxic dishwasher detergents, tablets & pods for a safe clean
- 8 best natural & non-toxic all-purpose cleaners that clean everything from countertops to bathrooms
- 6 best non-toxic, natural oven cleaners that break down grease effectively
- 9 best natural, non-toxic floor cleaners that are safe & effective
- 6 best non-toxic & natural carpet cleaners that are safe for our families & pets
- The best eco-friendly alternatives to Swiffer for zero-waste cleaning
- 10 non-toxic homemade cleaning products that actually work
- 12 best natural & non-toxic hand soap brands for clean, nourished skin
- The only 9 minimalist cleaning supplies you need
- DIY laundry detergent recipe: all natural & cheap
Which reusable paper towels have you decided to get?
Please leave a comment!
Don’t forget to share this blog post with your friends so they can find washable unpaper towels too.
Looking for more non-toxic & sustainable brands? Check out the Ethical & Sustainable Brand Directory!
It features conscious brands in various categories, from home goods and furniture to fashion and clean beauty!
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